Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Trapped miner dug out from tunnel after 7 days


BOKOD, Benguet – A 33-year-old small-scale miner is now back to his family after rescuers dug him out from a tunnel where he was trapped here for a week at the height of heavy rains, authorities said.

Local folk said they offered prayers and offerings to the God and “unseen beings” who were reportedly guarding the tunnel’s gold deposits, to let the miner Felipe Pilmaco out.

Since Aug. 3, Pilmaco had been trapped in the dark tunnel in SitioCoros, Barangay Bila, surviving on food and oxygen and communicating via a cellular phone passed on through a galvanized pipe inserted through the rock, boulders and wet mud.

The miner was visibly weak but showed great relief when he was dug out from the tunnel which local miners said, was being “protected” by “beings.”

He was taken to the Baguio General Hospital for treatment but was later released.
           
When interviewed, Pilmaco said he may return to mining but will be more careful next time and will not enter tunnels during heavy rains or typhoons.
           
His family said they were happy and thanked God for bringing him back alive.     

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